My Last Week in Russia

Vladimir, Russia (ACN)
Anya and I returned home to Vladimir on Monday morning March 26. We were tired and the driver with whom we had made arrangements to pick us up forgot about us. So Anya was fit to be tied. She had a lot of work to do and did not have all day to lounge around in Moscow. So she called another friend of hers who came and picked us up, but he was three hours away in Vladimir. It was 9:30am or so and we would have to wait until 12:30pm to be picked up. Then it would take us another 3 hours to arrive in Vladimir.

You might be thinking, why didn't you just take a Moscow cab to Vladimir. Because it would have cost 7,500 rubles (about $300). Ilya, Anya's friend only charged 1,900 rubles (about $80). We could have taken a city bus from the airport to the Metro and then another bus from Moscow to Vladimir for about 1,000 rubles (about $45), but I was not traveling light so that option was out.

We waited! Ilya came a little early and we stopped at McDonald's on the way. Yum, Yum! Along the way my need to go to the restroom grew intense. We stopped at a bus station along the route. They have a nice restroom for which you must pay 10 rubles (about $0.45). This was much better than the bus station at which Marina and I stopped on the way to Alexandrov. There too I had motivation to do multiple activities, but it was a hole in the floor and very nasty. I just did ONE activity and left the second activity for later. Russian roads have many, many potholes and our bus driver chose to hit every one of them. I suffered for over and hour.

During the week I had dinner each night with 2-3 of my friends who have served as interpreters in the past. I ate chicken, beef and pork served in different ways.

On Thursday we went to visit Volodya in Alexandrov. Sasha answered the door and Marina, another interpreter went in. I stood down the hallway out of site. I knocked on the door and surprised Sasha when she opened the door. Sasha called to mom to come and see who was there and she too was surprised. Volodya was not at home yet. When he arrived no one said anything about me being here. When he walked into the living room he was shocked and wanted to know if it was December already.

We talked for several hours and Volodya made Plov (I think that is how it is spelled). It is a chicken and rice dish. It was wonderful.

We then spoke about how my ministry is changing and about the new business venture for me in Russia. Volodya and Nadya do not want me to work with anyone, but Baptists either in the business or the ministry. My philosophy is that if you teach "Salvation through Jesus Christ and Him alone," then I will work with you. I realize there are differences between my understanding of Christian doctrines and those of other denominations, however I am pretty sure that NO PARTICULAR DENOMINATION HAS A FULL UNDERSTANDING of all Christian doctrines and that includes me, and my denomination and you and yours.

So as long you and your church teach "Salvation through Jesus Christ and Him alone," my goal will be to help you in your efforts. If you or other Russians will not work with me because of this then, in the words of a famous American actor, "Pity the fool."

The rest of the week and the trip home work pretty uneventful. However, I have made good friends with a souvenir shop owner in Vladimir, who has owned her shop for 15 years. She recognizes me because ever since 1998 I have come to her shop on nearly every trip and when I walk in I say "I want one each of every Black Lacquer box." No one else does that. We spoke for a while and said goodbye with a Christian phrase. Next time I will inquire as to her knowledge of Jesus and see if she knows Him. If not, I will make it my goal in life to witness to her each time I go.

Please pray that I will have wisdom and discernment in regards to this potential business I want to start in Russia. I know you want to hear more about it, but I need to get another company to agree to allow me to implement the idea and I must find investors to back me up.